Bentham woman’s bid to help Lancaster’s homeless at Christmas

A woman from Bentham is trying to start a movement that will steal some of Christmas away from the multi-billion pound consumer industry and give it to the homeless of Lancaster.

Katherine Beaumont, from Station Road in High Bentham, is turning all her Christmas presents into donations.

She is calling it The Grinch Movement and she is asking you to join her.

She said: “I’m stealing a bit of Christmas from the multi-billion pound consumer industry and giving to the homeless.

“This Christmas, I am giving up all my Christmas presents and I am asking my present buyers to donate the money to this cause instead.

“I am also asking friends and family if they mind not receiving a gift from me so that I can donate the money I would have spent on them.

“If they are OK with it, I am pretend-shopping for some personalised plastic tat, singing fish or posh candle that I would have purchased, and donating the price of that lavish or expendable, though not necessarily recyclable, item to the cause.”

Katherine added: “People who are homeless obviously need lots of things, but mostly they need love and compassion and a hot dinner on Christmas Day.

“They are some of the most damaged and abused people in society and it cuts me up to think of us all stuffing our stockings while they have nothing and no one. So why don’t you join me and donate your gifts too? Even just a couple? Or the money you would have spent on Christmas cards? I mean, who needs those?

“Also, it’s better for the environment and one thing we all definitely need is somewhere to live, like a planet.”

Katherine has set up a Justgiving page at https://bit.ly/2OqW6Bn for people who wish to donate to her cause.

All money raised will go towards Lancaster and District Homeless Action.